Paul Manafort worked on Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, was a central figure in Robert Mueller’s investigation into the campaign’s ties to Russia, and ultimately served prison time for a slew of financial crimes. Trump pardoned Manafort before he left office, and now wants to bring him onto his campaign to retake the White House, according to The Washington Post.
Manafort, a longtime lobbyist and fixture in Republican politics, served as the chairman of Trump’s 2016 campaign before being ousted from the role that August. His ties to Russia drew the attention of Mueller,...
Manafort, a longtime lobbyist and fixture in Republican politics, served as the chairman of Trump’s 2016 campaign before being ousted from the role that August. His ties to Russia drew the attention of Mueller,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Federal prosecutors are investigating threats to possible government witnesses in the confidential documents case against Donald Trump, according to court documents filed this week.
On Wednesday, special counsel Jack Smith filed a motion to submit a sealed document that “describes in some detail” threats made against witnesses over social media and an ongoing federal investigation into the threats. The motion argued sharing all the details “risks disrupting the investigation.”
Federal prosecutors filed their initial indictment in the case in June 2023, describing how Trump took classified documents home to his Mar-a-Lago...
On Wednesday, special counsel Jack Smith filed a motion to submit a sealed document that “describes in some detail” threats made against witnesses over social media and an ongoing federal investigation into the threats. The motion argued sharing all the details “risks disrupting the investigation.”
Federal prosecutors filed their initial indictment in the case in June 2023, describing how Trump took classified documents home to his Mar-a-Lago...
- 2/9/2024
- by Gideon Hess
- Rollingstone.com
American translator Reality Winner is probably better known in Europe than the U.S., thanks in part to Tina Satter’s extraordinary arthouse film Reality (2023), which dramatized the 25-year-old Texas translator’s arrest in 2017 using the verbatim transcripts of her interactions with the FBI.
Winner, a funny and surprisingly powerful biopic directed and cowritten by Susanna Fogel, will go quite a long way towards raising her profile back home.
By no means as controversial as previous whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Julian Assange — all she did really was photocopy a piece of paper and send it to a fringe-left website — Reality Winner somehow became a punching bag for the American government, and the disproportionate punishment for her crime could give this film traction in an election year that is being fought more than ever before on a battlefield where principles are the first casualty.
You wouldn...
Winner, a funny and surprisingly powerful biopic directed and cowritten by Susanna Fogel, will go quite a long way towards raising her profile back home.
By no means as controversial as previous whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Julian Assange — all she did really was photocopy a piece of paper and send it to a fringe-left website — Reality Winner somehow became a punching bag for the American government, and the disproportionate punishment for her crime could give this film traction in an election year that is being fought more than ever before on a battlefield where principles are the first casualty.
You wouldn...
- 1/21/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Sam Patten became briefly notorious during special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 U.S. presidential election when Patten pled guilty to failing to register as a foreign agent for a Ukrainian politician. An international political operative, Patten had worked on the same team in Ukraine as Paul Manafort, later one of Donald Trump’s campaign chairmen. Patten had also worked for the London-based Cambridge Analytica, the data-mining political operation made infamous during the 2016 election, prompting commentators like MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow to question whether...
- 9/2/2023
- by Sam Patten
- Rollingstone.com
A New Jersey man who had his prison sentence commuted by then-President Donald Trump has been arrested again for allegedly defrauding investors out of millions of dollars.
Eliyahu “Eli” Weinstein, 48, and four other men are being charged with defrauding at least 150 people out of $35 million in a “Ponzi-like scheme,” according to a statement from the office of the U.S. attorney for New Jersey.
In addition to Weinstein, the office charged Aryeh “Ari” Bromberg, 49, and Joel Wittels, 57, also of Lakewood; Shlomo Erez, 55, a citizen and resident of Israel; and Alaa Hattab,...
Eliyahu “Eli” Weinstein, 48, and four other men are being charged with defrauding at least 150 people out of $35 million in a “Ponzi-like scheme,” according to a statement from the office of the U.S. attorney for New Jersey.
In addition to Weinstein, the office charged Aryeh “Ari” Bromberg, 49, and Joel Wittels, 57, also of Lakewood; Shlomo Erez, 55, a citizen and resident of Israel; and Alaa Hattab,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
In the final days of the Cold War, a young diplomat arrived at the Soviet Consulate in San Francisco. Agents in the FBI’s San Francisco field office kept a close eye on the personnel coming and going from the consulate. The six-story building in one of the city’s toniest neighborhoods long served as a hub of espionage activity. The newly-arrived Soviet diplomat in his twenties, Evgeny Fokin, soon raised suspicions that he was a Kgb officer operating under diplomatic cover on his first overseas posting. “I do remember he was an intelligence officer.
- 2/17/2023
- by Seth Hettena
- Rollingstone.com
When the members of the House’s new subcommittee on the “weaponization of government” took their seats for the first time on Thursday afternoon, chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) promised its first hearing would expose the “political nature of the Justice Department.”
To make this point, Republican senators who testified before the committee offered falsehoods about Hillary Clinton and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) began his testimony with a vow that it would sound like something “out of some fiction spy thriller.” Fiction indeed: Grassley falsely...
To make this point, Republican senators who testified before the committee offered falsehoods about Hillary Clinton and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) began his testimony with a vow that it would sound like something “out of some fiction spy thriller.” Fiction indeed: Grassley falsely...
- 2/9/2023
- by Kara Voght
- Rollingstone.com
In the final moments of Brandon Bernard’s life, before he was executed by lethal injection at a federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Dec. 10, 2020, President Donald Trump picked up the phone to entertain a final plea for mercy on Bernard’s behalf. The call was not with Bernard’s family or his attorneys. Nor was it with representatives from the Justice Department’s Pardon Attorney office, who had recommended just days earlier that Trump spare Bernard’s life.
Rather, the call was with Jamal Fincher Jones, better known as Polow da Don,...
Rather, the call was with Jamal Fincher Jones, better known as Polow da Don,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Asawin Suebsaeng and Patrick Reis
- Rollingstone.com
The Justice Department has charged billionaire Oleg Deripaska with violating sanctions imposed on him and other allies of Vladimir Putin in 2018 for Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Authorities say Deripaska used three women — who are listed as co-defendants on the indictment, which was unsealed Thursday — to “utilize U.S. financial institutions to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of services for his benefit in the United States,” according to a DOJ press release.
“Despite his cozy ties with the Kremlin and his vast wealth acquired through ties to a corrupt regime,...
Authorities say Deripaska used three women — who are listed as co-defendants on the indictment, which was unsealed Thursday — to “utilize U.S. financial institutions to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of services for his benefit in the United States,” according to a DOJ press release.
“Despite his cozy ties with the Kremlin and his vast wealth acquired through ties to a corrupt regime,...
- 9/29/2022
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Upon hearing the news that the Trump Organization’s former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg had pleaded guilty to tax fraud on Thursday, Trevor Noah was stunned during last night’s episode of “The Daily Show” as he began counting just how many present and past Trump allies have now gone to prison.
“Can we just take a moment to appreciate how many people associated with Donald Trump have ended up in prison?” he said. “His lawyer (Michael Cohen), his campaign manager (Paul Manafort), his deputy campaign chairman (Rick Gates), now the chief financial officer of his organization.”
He added: “Usually, you’ve got to run a drug cartel to have this many friends doing hard time. At this point, it’s basically El Chapo and Donald Trump.”
Also Read:
Fallon Comforts Biden for Disappointing Approval Rating Boost: ‘You’re 79, Your Surges Aren’t as Strong’ Anymore (Video)
The late...
“Can we just take a moment to appreciate how many people associated with Donald Trump have ended up in prison?” he said. “His lawyer (Michael Cohen), his campaign manager (Paul Manafort), his deputy campaign chairman (Rick Gates), now the chief financial officer of his organization.”
He added: “Usually, you’ve got to run a drug cartel to have this many friends doing hard time. At this point, it’s basically El Chapo and Donald Trump.”
Also Read:
Fallon Comforts Biden for Disappointing Approval Rating Boost: ‘You’re 79, Your Surges Aren’t as Strong’ Anymore (Video)
The late...
- 8/19/2022
- by Katie Campione
- The Wrap
Donald Trump, reacting to bombshell testimony against him in Tuesday’s Jan. 6 congressional hearings, rolled out a well-worn strategy after former associates make headlines that call his character, competence or morality into question.
Posting on the Truth Social account that has become his de facto mouthpiece amid a Twitter ban and a two-year Facebook suspension, Trump attempted to blast former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson as she testified in front of the special committee.
“I hardly know who this person, Cassidy Hutchinson, is, other than I heard very negative things about her (a total phony and ‘leaker’),” Trump wrote, about the former top aide to his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, whose office was several doors down from Trump’s Oval Office, as the Jan. 6 panel showed in a diagram at the top of their Tuesday session.
Also Read:
Jan. 6 Hearings Day 6: Trump Threw Dishes, Fought His Own Security...
Posting on the Truth Social account that has become his de facto mouthpiece amid a Twitter ban and a two-year Facebook suspension, Trump attempted to blast former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson as she testified in front of the special committee.
“I hardly know who this person, Cassidy Hutchinson, is, other than I heard very negative things about her (a total phony and ‘leaker’),” Trump wrote, about the former top aide to his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, whose office was several doors down from Trump’s Oval Office, as the Jan. 6 panel showed in a diagram at the top of their Tuesday session.
Also Read:
Jan. 6 Hearings Day 6: Trump Threw Dishes, Fought His Own Security...
- 6/28/2022
- by Jeremy Bailey
- The Wrap
It’s pretty clear at this point that Donald Trump is never going to move past losing the 2020 election. He’ll be complaining about it for the rest of his life, just as he’ll never stop complaining about the Russia investigation — which he’s now suing Hillary Clinton, James Comey, and a host of others over, claiming they conspired to falsely accuse him of collusion ahead of the 2016 election.
The 108-page lawsuit, filed Thursday in a Florida federal court, accuses the defendants — including Clinton, Comey, Christopher Steele, Peter Strokz,...
The 108-page lawsuit, filed Thursday in a Florida federal court, accuses the defendants — including Clinton, Comey, Christopher Steele, Peter Strokz,...
- 3/24/2022
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Kathy Griffin, who announced that she is battling lung cancer and needs to undergo surgery, is no stranger to controversy – personal, political and, often, viral. She once told Jesus to “suck it” during an Emmys acceptance speech – that kind of thing. As the self-proclaimed “Mayor of Zero F–ksville,” the comedian has gone through ups and downs upon ups and downs, and she’s stood her ground the whole time.
pic.twitter.com/XoqoudcIK1
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 2, 2021
Intertwined with her legendary, 40-year-long career are her brash comedy-style, signature, fiery-red hair and sheer courage when facing controversy. During her career Griffin has played a muckraking journalist on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” hosted the Daytime Emmys, turned a stand-up night into a HBO comedy special, starred in her own reality television series, and just last year, made her film debut with concert film “A Hell of a Story.”
She has also...
pic.twitter.com/XoqoudcIK1
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 2, 2021
Intertwined with her legendary, 40-year-long career are her brash comedy-style, signature, fiery-red hair and sheer courage when facing controversy. During her career Griffin has played a muckraking journalist on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” hosted the Daytime Emmys, turned a stand-up night into a HBO comedy special, starred in her own reality television series, and just last year, made her film debut with concert film “A Hell of a Story.”
She has also...
- 8/3/2021
- by Aarohi Sheth
- The Wrap
Tom Barrack, the founder and former CEO of Colony Capital and longtime advisor to Donald Trump, was released on Friday on a whopping $250 million bond, three days after being arrested on charges that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent and lied about it to investigators.
Barrack, 74, was freed from a county jail facility in San Bernardino, according to jail records. He was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles on charges he that he illegally sought to influence policy for the United Arab Emirates with disclosing himself as a registered foreign agent.
“I want to thank the fine men and women of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office, the United States Marshals Service and the Central District of California Court, Pretrial, and Probation teams,” Barrack said in a statement on Friday evening. “They have difficult jobs and carry them out with great professionalism. I also want to recognize the grace...
Barrack, 74, was freed from a county jail facility in San Bernardino, according to jail records. He was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles on charges he that he illegally sought to influence policy for the United Arab Emirates with disclosing himself as a registered foreign agent.
“I want to thank the fine men and women of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office, the United States Marshals Service and the Central District of California Court, Pretrial, and Probation teams,” Barrack said in a statement on Friday evening. “They have difficult jobs and carry them out with great professionalism. I also want to recognize the grace...
- 7/24/2021
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
In a never-before-heard 2019 recording, Rudy Giuliani can be heard pressuring Ukrainian officials to investigate baseless conspiracies about Joe Biden, according to a report from CNN, which obtained audio of the call.
During the call, Giuliani — who at the time was former president Donald Trump’s lawyer — tells Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that they needed Zelensky to say an inquiry into Biden has begun.
“All we need from the President [Zelensky] is to say, I’m gonna put an honest prosecutor in charge, he’s gonna...
During the call, Giuliani — who at the time was former president Donald Trump’s lawyer — tells Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that they needed Zelensky to say an inquiry into Biden has begun.
“All we need from the President [Zelensky] is to say, I’m gonna put an honest prosecutor in charge, he’s gonna...
- 6/8/2021
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
Donald Trump is going out like he came in: corrupt as hell.
The departing president left the White House for Mar-a-Lago at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, slinking out after a disastrous and deadly four years. One of his last acts on the job was granting a flurry of pardons and commutations (nearly 150 in all), many of them to his white-collar cronies. The last-minute pardon spree had long been expected, and wasn’t at all out of character for a president who routinely abused his ability to unilaterally absolve allies of federal crimes.
The departing president left the White House for Mar-a-Lago at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, slinking out after a disastrous and deadly four years. One of his last acts on the job was granting a flurry of pardons and commutations (nearly 150 in all), many of them to his white-collar cronies. The last-minute pardon spree had long been expected, and wasn’t at all out of character for a president who routinely abused his ability to unilaterally absolve allies of federal crimes.
- 1/20/2021
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Update, 9:55 Pm: The White House has confirmed that Steven Bannon has been pardoned by Donald Trump.
“President Trump granted a full pardon to Stephen Bannon,” said the official announcement tonight. “Prosecutors pursued Mr. Bannon with charges related to fraud stemming from his involvement in a political project. Mr. Bannon has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen.”
Overall, 73 individuals were granted pardons in the last hours of the Trump administration. Another 70 individuals saw their sentences commuted. (See the full list below.)
Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black were also among those that made the cut, so to speak. Yet, despite a hard-core effort for a pardon from Trump,, Tiger King star Joe Exotic was not one of the lucky ones. Trump and members of his family and former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani were not on...
“President Trump granted a full pardon to Stephen Bannon,” said the official announcement tonight. “Prosecutors pursued Mr. Bannon with charges related to fraud stemming from his involvement in a political project. Mr. Bannon has been an important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen.”
Overall, 73 individuals were granted pardons in the last hours of the Trump administration. Another 70 individuals saw their sentences commuted. (See the full list below.)
Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black were also among those that made the cut, so to speak. Yet, despite a hard-core effort for a pardon from Trump,, Tiger King star Joe Exotic was not one of the lucky ones. Trump and members of his family and former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani were not on...
- 1/20/2021
- by Dominic Patten and Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Donald Trump has just hours left in office and TV’s late-night hosts are taking all the shots they can before President-elect Joe Biden’s officially takes over the White House on Wednesday.
While the fatal insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol still finds its way into their shows, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers fired off at Trump’s final actions in office – from his extensive list of pardons to his meeting with MyPillow CEO and supporter Mike Lindell. Lindell, after being passed from one White House official to another, met with the president to discuss the Jan. 6 insurrection and martial law, photos from the Washington Post reveal.
“This situation is so perfectly indicative of the Trump era,” Meyers said on Monday. “Instead of saying ‘no, get out,’ they all go to absurd lengths to debase themselves to accommodate trump and a circle of crazy old men with mysteriously brown hair.
While the fatal insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol still finds its way into their shows, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers fired off at Trump’s final actions in office – from his extensive list of pardons to his meeting with MyPillow CEO and supporter Mike Lindell. Lindell, after being passed from one White House official to another, met with the president to discuss the Jan. 6 insurrection and martial law, photos from the Washington Post reveal.
“This situation is so perfectly indicative of the Trump era,” Meyers said on Monday. “Instead of saying ‘no, get out,’ they all go to absurd lengths to debase themselves to accommodate trump and a circle of crazy old men with mysteriously brown hair.
- 1/19/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Two Republicans, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), blasted the outgoing president on Sunday morning, one going so far as to call out his own party, along with the president for possibly driving people to “violence” over bogus claims of voter fraud.
Kinzinger, one of the few current Republican lawmakers who are unafraid to speak out against the president, addressed Trump’s refusal to sign the Covid-19 relief bill, even after the White House was part of the negotiations, saying it seems their aim is to merely cause chaos.
Kinzinger, one of the few current Republican lawmakers who are unafraid to speak out against the president, addressed Trump’s refusal to sign the Covid-19 relief bill, even after the White House was part of the negotiations, saying it seems their aim is to merely cause chaos.
- 12/27/2020
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
Donald Trump issued another wave of pardons on Wednesday, granting clemency to his former campaign chief Paul Manafort, his former adviser Roger Stone and to Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
They were among the 26 pardons that the White House disclosed on Wednesday. In addition, Trump commuted the sentences of three others.
The White House released the list shortly after Trump left for Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fl, for the holidays.
Stone and Manafort were among those convicted as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
Stone, the self-described campaign “dirty trickster,” was convicted last year on charges of witness tampering and making false statements, and was sentenced to 40 months in prison. But in July, before he was to start his prison term, Trump commuted his sentence.
Manafort, who chaired Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, was serving a seven-and-a-half year prison sentence, but was released to home confinement in May.
They were among the 26 pardons that the White House disclosed on Wednesday. In addition, Trump commuted the sentences of three others.
The White House released the list shortly after Trump left for Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fl, for the holidays.
Stone and Manafort were among those convicted as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
Stone, the self-described campaign “dirty trickster,” was convicted last year on charges of witness tampering and making false statements, and was sentenced to 40 months in prison. But in July, before he was to start his prison term, Trump commuted his sentence.
Manafort, who chaired Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, was serving a seven-and-a-half year prison sentence, but was released to home confinement in May.
- 12/24/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
As President Donald Trump’s remaining days in office dwindle, get ready to hear a whole lot about the presidential pardon power. And while you’re at it, prepare yourself ahead of time for the outrage you’re going to feel when you fully digest the kicker: Between now and noon on January 20th, Trump has virtually unlimited power to pardon anyone he wants.
The president’s pardon power comes from the Constitution, which states that “The President … shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States,...
The president’s pardon power comes from the Constitution, which states that “The President … shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States,...
- 12/2/2020
- by David S. Cohen
- Rollingstone.com
Washington — Elliott Broidy, a former top fundraiser for President Trump and the Republican Party, has been charged by the Department of Justice with criminal conspiracy for allegedly acting as a foreign lobbyist without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
A charging document signed by lawyers in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Division says Broidy and an associate, Nickie Lum Davis, took millions of dollars to “orchestrate back-channel, unregistered campaigns to lobby the Administration and DOJ” on behalf of two unnamed foreign individuals. The first person is widely believed to Low Taek Jho,...
A charging document signed by lawyers in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Division says Broidy and an associate, Nickie Lum Davis, took millions of dollars to “orchestrate back-channel, unregistered campaigns to lobby the Administration and DOJ” on behalf of two unnamed foreign individuals. The first person is widely believed to Low Taek Jho,...
- 10/9/2020
- by Andy Kroll
- Rollingstone.com
HBO has the fix for television viewers with an insatiable appetite for insight on Russia’s interference with the United States’ 2016 presidential election.
That fix is titled “Agents of Chaos,” an upcoming two-part documentary from Alex Gibney that will premiere on September 23. HBO unveiled the trailer for the documentary on Monday and though the project covers well-trod territory, “Agents of Chaos” promises to shine a new light on the political controversy.
Per HBO, “Agents of Chaos” is a product of years of reporting on Russian interference in the 2016 election. With never-before-seen footage inside the Russian troll farms and videos unearthed from the Russian deep web, the film digs deep into the sophisticated plans to undermine democracy, raising the alarm for the American public, but also proving that these “agents of chaos” weren’t Russians alone; they were also key players in the United States who, through venality, corruption or circumstance,...
That fix is titled “Agents of Chaos,” an upcoming two-part documentary from Alex Gibney that will premiere on September 23. HBO unveiled the trailer for the documentary on Monday and though the project covers well-trod territory, “Agents of Chaos” promises to shine a new light on the political controversy.
Per HBO, “Agents of Chaos” is a product of years of reporting on Russian interference in the 2016 election. With never-before-seen footage inside the Russian troll farms and videos unearthed from the Russian deep web, the film digs deep into the sophisticated plans to undermine democracy, raising the alarm for the American public, but also proving that these “agents of chaos” weren’t Russians alone; they were also key players in the United States who, through venality, corruption or circumstance,...
- 8/25/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 election is examined in the new trailer for Agents of Chaos, Alex Gibney’s two-part HBO documentary out September 23rd.
Ahead of the upcoming 2020 election, the film aims to interpret what really happened in 2016, untangling all the conspiracies, confusion and public reaction. In the trailer, Russian President Vladimir Putin is asked if his country is attempting to influence the 2016 election. “Here, I’ll tell you a secret,” he says. “Yes, we will absolutely be doing that.”
The film features previously unseen footage captured inside...
Ahead of the upcoming 2020 election, the film aims to interpret what really happened in 2016, untangling all the conspiracies, confusion and public reaction. In the trailer, Russian President Vladimir Putin is asked if his country is attempting to influence the 2016 election. “Here, I’ll tell you a secret,” he says. “Yes, we will absolutely be doing that.”
The film features previously unseen footage captured inside...
- 8/24/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Alex Gibney, the Emmy and Oscar winning documentary filmmaker who has previously investigated everything from Scientology to Theranos, will pull back the curtain on Russian collusion in the 2016 U.S. elections.
Dubbed “Agents of Chaos,” the two-part film will debut on HBO on Sept. 23 in advance of the 2020 presidential contest. The second installment will air on Sept. 24. Gibney previously collaborated with HBO on the likes of “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” and “The Inventor: Out For Blood in Silicon Valley.”
“The was a Herculean effort that was reminiscent of the cleaning of the Augean stables in terms of difficulty,” Gibney told Variety. “While a lot has been written about certain aspects of this story, much of it was done in such a superficial way that it was hard for people to penetrate. We felt there was value in presenting this as one all-encompassing narrative.”
The resulting film...
Dubbed “Agents of Chaos,” the two-part film will debut on HBO on Sept. 23 in advance of the 2020 presidential contest. The second installment will air on Sept. 24. Gibney previously collaborated with HBO on the likes of “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” and “The Inventor: Out For Blood in Silicon Valley.”
“The was a Herculean effort that was reminiscent of the cleaning of the Augean stables in terms of difficulty,” Gibney told Variety. “While a lot has been written about certain aspects of this story, much of it was done in such a superficial way that it was hard for people to penetrate. We felt there was value in presenting this as one all-encompassing narrative.”
The resulting film...
- 8/24/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
It’s become normal that John Oliver starts every episode of Last Week Tonight by saying “A lot happened this week” because it is wildly accurate. It seemed that this week he was speaking a mile-a-minute in order to try to fit in pertinent news at the top of the show.
First on the list was the Democratic National Convention which many were calling an “unconventional” convention, thinking that they were the ones that coined that phrase. It was unconventional because it was a virtual affair with delegates coming up with fun ways to showcase their states during the roll call. Oliver particularly put the spotlight on Rhode Island, who was one of the most memorable as they were bragging about calamari as a masked man, Oliver referred to as “the calamari ninja” presented a plate of the tasty appetizer.
“I had no idea that calamari was Rhode Island’s official state appetizer,...
First on the list was the Democratic National Convention which many were calling an “unconventional” convention, thinking that they were the ones that coined that phrase. It was unconventional because it was a virtual affair with delegates coming up with fun ways to showcase their states during the roll call. Oliver particularly put the spotlight on Rhode Island, who was one of the most memorable as they were bragging about calamari as a masked man, Oliver referred to as “the calamari ninja” presented a plate of the tasty appetizer.
“I had no idea that calamari was Rhode Island’s official state appetizer,...
- 8/24/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Only one day after he was indicted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering charges, a video has surfaced showing former Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon joking with one of his alleged co-conspirators about stealing “all that money from ‘We Build The Wall,’” a crowdfunding campaign that raised more than $25 million with the promise to erect a barrier on the southern border.
“Welcome back and this is Stephen K. Bannon. We’re off the coast of Saint-Tropez in southern France, in the Mediterranean. We’re on the million-dollar yacht of Brian Kolfage.
“Welcome back and this is Stephen K. Bannon. We’re off the coast of Saint-Tropez in southern France, in the Mediterranean. We’re on the million-dollar yacht of Brian Kolfage.
- 8/21/2020
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
Washington — Clocking in at nearly 1,000 pages and drawing on three-and-a-half years of work and more than a million documents, the latest report by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is perhaps the most complete accounting yet of Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election to damage Hillary Clinton and help elect Donald Trump.
The report is the fifth and final volume of the Senate intelligence committee’s attempt to understand what the Russian government did, what the Trump campaign did, the actions taken by each side’s representatives, and why.
The report is the fifth and final volume of the Senate intelligence committee’s attempt to understand what the Russian government did, what the Trump campaign did, the actions taken by each side’s representatives, and why.
- 8/18/2020
- by Andy Kroll
- Rollingstone.com
Asa Butterfield and Logan Lerman are set to star in the coming of age ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’-esqe ‘College Republicans’.
Set in the height of summer in 1973, Butterfield plays the role of a young Karl Rove who embarks with his untrustworthy campaign manager Lee Atwater, played by Lerman, on a backroom vote-stealing road trip through the South. In the process, they form uneasy alliances with the likes of Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, and Jeff Sessions.
However Atwater meets his match in a beautiful young Republican operative named Kate King (Kristine Froseth) and their dreams of victory bring them all too close to humiliating, career-ending defeat. The Kate King character is said to be a composite of several real people.
Also in news – ‘Lion’ filmmaker Garth Davis to direct Jared Leto in ‘Tron 3’
‘Brokeback Mountain’ producer James Schamus will direct from a script by Wes Jones (Billions).
Production is due...
Set in the height of summer in 1973, Butterfield plays the role of a young Karl Rove who embarks with his untrustworthy campaign manager Lee Atwater, played by Lerman, on a backroom vote-stealing road trip through the South. In the process, they form uneasy alliances with the likes of Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, and Jeff Sessions.
However Atwater meets his match in a beautiful young Republican operative named Kate King (Kristine Froseth) and their dreams of victory bring them all too close to humiliating, career-ending defeat. The Kate King character is said to be a composite of several real people.
Also in news – ‘Lion’ filmmaker Garth Davis to direct Jared Leto in ‘Tron 3’
‘Brokeback Mountain’ producer James Schamus will direct from a script by Wes Jones (Billions).
Production is due...
- 8/13/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Exclusive: James Schamus has committed to direct College Republicans, a fact-inspired Dirty Rotten Scoundrels-style coming of age story about top Republican operatives. Logan Lerman has been set to star as a young Lee Atwater, Asa Butterfield as Karl Rove and Kristine Froseth to play Kate King — a composite character who threatens their dreams of glory.
Wes Jones, a writer/producer in the early seasons of Billions, wrote the script that has first made itself known when it topped the Black List in 2010. Likely Story’s Anthony Bregman, The Black List’s Franklin Leonard, Symbolic Exchange’s Schamus and Likely Story’s Peter Cron are producing. Jones and Ken Friemann are exec producers.
Production will begin next spring or summer and the financing and distribution are mobilizing, with CAA Media Finance arranging the financing and repping distribution rights. The film is set in the Summer of 1973, as America witnesses the dirtiest...
Wes Jones, a writer/producer in the early seasons of Billions, wrote the script that has first made itself known when it topped the Black List in 2010. Likely Story’s Anthony Bregman, The Black List’s Franklin Leonard, Symbolic Exchange’s Schamus and Likely Story’s Peter Cron are producing. Jones and Ken Friemann are exec producers.
Production will begin next spring or summer and the financing and distribution are mobilizing, with CAA Media Finance arranging the financing and repping distribution rights. The film is set in the Summer of 1973, as America witnesses the dirtiest...
- 8/12/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
CNN’s Brianna Keilar did a deep dive into President Trump’s affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin, beginning with how Trump has labeled as a “hoax” the U.S. intelligence reports that Putin placed bounties on American soldiers.
“The president is refusing to condemn or even acknowledge reports that Russia put bounties on American troops. Yet he claims to be tough on the Russian government. That’s just not true,” Keilar said.
Trump claims intelligence about Russia offering bounties for US troops was never brought to his attention even...
“The president is refusing to condemn or even acknowledge reports that Russia put bounties on American troops. Yet he claims to be tough on the Russian government. That’s just not true,” Keilar said.
Trump claims intelligence about Russia offering bounties for US troops was never brought to his attention even...
- 7/31/2020
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
A federal judge ordered Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen to be released to home confinement after finding that the government had sent him back to prison in retaliation for Cohen’s plan to write a book about the president.
Cohen had been held in solitary confinement in a New York federal prison since July 9th after he was ushered back to prison following a coronavirus furlough in May.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein made the ruling on Thursday, ordering Cohen to be released by 2 p.m. on Friday following a Covid-19 test,...
Cohen had been held in solitary confinement in a New York federal prison since July 9th after he was ushered back to prison following a coronavirus furlough in May.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein made the ruling on Thursday, ordering Cohen to be released by 2 p.m. on Friday following a Covid-19 test,...
- 7/23/2020
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, was released from federal prison after concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.
Cohen, wearing a face mask, was captured by photographers arriving at his New York apartment, where he reportedly will be in home confinement.
“I am so glad to be home and back with my family,” Cohen wrote on Twitter. “There is so much I want to say and intend to say. But now is not the right time. Soon. Thank you to all my friends and supporters.”
I am so glad to be home and back with my family. There is so much I want to say and intend to say. But now is not the right time. Soon. Thank you to all my friends and supporters.
— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) May 21, 2020
Cohen had been at Otisville Satellite Camp, a medium security prison near Otisville, NY. He was due to be released in November,...
Cohen, wearing a face mask, was captured by photographers arriving at his New York apartment, where he reportedly will be in home confinement.
“I am so glad to be home and back with my family,” Cohen wrote on Twitter. “There is so much I want to say and intend to say. But now is not the right time. Soon. Thank you to all my friends and supporters.”
I am so glad to be home and back with my family. There is so much I want to say and intend to say. But now is not the right time. Soon. Thank you to all my friends and supporters.
— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) May 21, 2020
Cohen had been at Otisville Satellite Camp, a medium security prison near Otisville, NY. He was due to be released in November,...
- 5/21/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, has been released from a federal prison to serve the remainder of his term in home confinement, after his attorneys appealed for the move because of concerns over coronavirus.
Manafort’s attorney, Todd Blanche, confirmed his release to home confinement, but declined further comment. ABC News first reported on Manafort’s move.
Manafort, 71, had been at the low security Fci Loretto in Pennsylvania. He was scheduled to be released on Nov. 3, 2024. His lawyers had argued that he was a high risk if he contracted the coronavirus because of his age and preexisting medical conditions.
Manafort was sentenced in March, 2019, to more than seven years in prison after he was convicted in cases brought against him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.
He was convicted in August, 2018, by a jury in Virginia federal court of...
Manafort’s attorney, Todd Blanche, confirmed his release to home confinement, but declined further comment. ABC News first reported on Manafort’s move.
Manafort, 71, had been at the low security Fci Loretto in Pennsylvania. He was scheduled to be released on Nov. 3, 2024. His lawyers had argued that he was a high risk if he contracted the coronavirus because of his age and preexisting medical conditions.
Manafort was sentenced in March, 2019, to more than seven years in prison after he was convicted in cases brought against him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.
He was convicted in August, 2018, by a jury in Virginia federal court of...
- 5/13/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
A federal judge Thursday sentenced Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to President Trump, to 40 months in prison. Stone was convicted in November on seven counts, including lying to Congress and witness tampering.
“There was nothing unfair, phony, or disgraceful about the investigation or the prosecution,” U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said while imposing the sentence of nearly three and a half years. “Witnesses do not get to decide for themselves whether Congress is entitled to the facts.”
She added, “The dismay and disgust at the defendant’s belligerence should transcend party.
“There was nothing unfair, phony, or disgraceful about the investigation or the prosecution,” U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said while imposing the sentence of nearly three and a half years. “Witnesses do not get to decide for themselves whether Congress is entitled to the facts.”
She added, “The dismay and disgust at the defendant’s belligerence should transcend party.
- 2/20/2020
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
President Trump has found his dream attorney general in William Barr. We already knew this, considering how Barr worked last year to obscure special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings (and then some), but the bromance between the president and the head of the Justice Department, which in a functioning government would operate independently, just keeps getting richer.
The latest chapter came on Tuesday, when Barr intervened in the case of Roger Stone, ostensibly because Trump tweeted that it was “horrible and very unfair” that federal prosecutors recommended a seven-to-nine-year prison sentence for Stone,...
The latest chapter came on Tuesday, when Barr intervened in the case of Roger Stone, ostensibly because Trump tweeted that it was “horrible and very unfair” that federal prosecutors recommended a seven-to-nine-year prison sentence for Stone,...
- 2/12/2020
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Oscar-winning Spotlight producer Blye Faust and Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning producer Cori Shepherd Stern have acquired the exclusive rights to Beltway strategist Riva Levinson’s life story for a TV series. The duo have teamed with former The Rook showrunners Karyn Usher and Lisa Zwerling to develop the series at Universal Television, where Zwerling and Usher are under a deal. The four will executive produce, with Zwerling and Usher writing.
Fresh out of college and finding herself relegated to waiting tables in early 1980’s DC, the brash and ambitious Levinson finagled an interview with Paul Manafort and became the first female executive hired to work for Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly – the powerhouse lobbying firm headed by Manafort and Roger Stone who were both recently convicted over matters related to the Trump campaign.
The series will largely focus on her time at the firm as...
Fresh out of college and finding herself relegated to waiting tables in early 1980’s DC, the brash and ambitious Levinson finagled an interview with Paul Manafort and became the first female executive hired to work for Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly – the powerhouse lobbying firm headed by Manafort and Roger Stone who were both recently convicted over matters related to the Trump campaign.
The series will largely focus on her time at the firm as...
- 12/19/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told CNN’s Jake Tapper that President Donald Trump should not be impeached because Trump is dedicated to rooting out corruption, and his motives for holding up the military funding to Ukraine were centered around those concerns. In his response, however, Tapper schooled the congressman in the facts.
Tapper asked Paul, “So you’re saying that you think that President Trump was actually doing this because he was combating corruption?”
Paul replied, “Well, yes, there are all kinds of accusations that Burisma and Hunter Biden...
Tapper asked Paul, “So you’re saying that you think that President Trump was actually doing this because he was combating corruption?”
Paul replied, “Well, yes, there are all kinds of accusations that Burisma and Hunter Biden...
- 12/15/2019
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
Hillary Clinton, not long ago the nominee of the Democratic Party, had some choice words about the state of American politics Friday.
“I’m not making any predictions, but I think they’ve got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate,” Clinton said on a podcast with former Barack Obama aide David Plouffe. “She’s the favorite of the Russians.”
Clinton appeared to be talking about Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a combat veteran. She wasn’t done,...
“I’m not making any predictions, but I think they’ve got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate,” Clinton said on a podcast with former Barack Obama aide David Plouffe. “She’s the favorite of the Russians.”
Clinton appeared to be talking about Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a combat veteran. She wasn’t done,...
- 10/21/2019
- by Matt Taibbi
- Rollingstone.com
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s attempts to deflect and avoid giving honest and straight answers about President Donald Trump’s Ukraine quid pro quo scandal died a horrible death on Sunday during his appearance on ABC News’ The Week.
Host George Stephanopoulos asked the secretary if it was appropriate to withhold military aid to Ukraine until they pursued an investigation into the president’s political rivals. Stephanopoulos was referring to acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitting to the quid pro quo earlier this week. Pompeo said, “I’m...
Host George Stephanopoulos asked the secretary if it was appropriate to withhold military aid to Ukraine until they pursued an investigation into the president’s political rivals. Stephanopoulos was referring to acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitting to the quid pro quo earlier this week. Pompeo said, “I’m...
- 10/20/2019
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
If you read the whistleblower’s complaint on President Trump’s Ukrainian scandal, you could be forgiven for believing Yuriy Lutsenko is a genius.
The complaint singles out the now-former top Ukrainian prosecutor for statements he made that seeded the conspiracy theory about Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden — namely, that the former vice president used his office to shield Hunter and the Ukrainian energy company he worked for, Burisma Holdings, from a corruption investigation.
After a string of meetings and conversations with President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani...
The complaint singles out the now-former top Ukrainian prosecutor for statements he made that seeded the conspiracy theory about Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden — namely, that the former vice president used his office to shield Hunter and the Ukrainian energy company he worked for, Burisma Holdings, from a corruption investigation.
After a string of meetings and conversations with President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani...
- 10/10/2019
- by Patrick Reis and Andy Kroll
- Rollingstone.com
Rudy Giuliani has consulted with Paul Manafort “several times” in recent months as he quests to smear Joe Biden and boost a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine and Democrats — not Russia — were the ones who did the real malfeasance ahead of the 2016 election, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
This isn’t exactly a great look for Trump’s personal lawyer-turned-global conspiracy theory propagator, as Manafort is currently in prison for a smorgasbord of financial crimes, many related to his dealings in Ukraine. So why exactly was Rudy seeking guidance...
This isn’t exactly a great look for Trump’s personal lawyer-turned-global conspiracy theory propagator, as Manafort is currently in prison for a smorgasbord of financial crimes, many related to his dealings in Ukraine. So why exactly was Rudy seeking guidance...
- 10/3/2019
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
If the emerging details are accurate, Donald Trump’s efforts to get Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election are not just a repeat of his overtures toward Russia in 2016 — they’re worse.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that, on a late-July call with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump pressured the Eastern European leader “about eight times” to support Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to dig up dirt that could damage the presidential campaign of Joe Biden.
(A bit of context is helpful here: Biden’s son Hunter was involved...
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that, on a late-July call with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump pressured the Eastern European leader “about eight times” to support Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to dig up dirt that could damage the presidential campaign of Joe Biden.
(A bit of context is helpful here: Biden’s son Hunter was involved...
- 9/21/2019
- by Tim Dickinson
- Rollingstone.com
President Donald Trump’s inauguration chairman, Tom Barrack, lobbied the new administration to share nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia while, at the same time, making plans to team up with the Saudis to buy a company that would benefit from the policy change, according to documents obtained by a House committee.
During the campaign, Barrack advised Trump on the Middle East, where he has long-standing business relationships. As Trump clinched the Republican nomination in 2016, Barrack shared a draft of a policy speech with a businessman from the United Arab Emirates,...
During the campaign, Barrack advised Trump on the Middle East, where he has long-standing business relationships. As Trump clinched the Republican nomination in 2016, Barrack shared a draft of a policy speech with a businessman from the United Arab Emirates,...
- 8/1/2019
- by Isaac Arnsdorf, ProPublica
- Rollingstone.com
In calling for an investigation into Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on Tuesday, President Trump made it four straight days of bashing the House Oversight Committee chairman. Driving the president’s vitriol is, among other things, the fact that Cummings’ committee is investigating potential misconduct by Trump and his administration. It’s understandable that the president is worried. Emails and texts uncovered by the committee revealed that Trump’s campaign let United Arab Emirates officials edit an “America First” energy speech Trump delivered as a candidate in the 2016 election. It doesn’t end there,...
- 7/30/2019
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
One of the reasons House Democrats asked former special counsel Robert Mueller to testify before Congress on Wednesday was to present his finding to the American people in a format other than a dense, 448-page report. No member of Congress was able to accomplish this more effectively than House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
Though the Mueller report contains plenty of damning information regarding the Trump campaign’s relationship to Russia, most of that information has been revealed through piecemeal reports over a three-year period. Since the investigation began,...
Though the Mueller report contains plenty of damning information regarding the Trump campaign’s relationship to Russia, most of that information has been revealed through piecemeal reports over a three-year period. Since the investigation began,...
- 7/24/2019
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Refresh for updates, including Trump tweets Well, that was fast. Former special counsel Robert Mueller got right to the point in countering President Donald Trump’s oft-repeated mantra about “no obstruction.”
Under questioning from House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler, kicking off today’s hearing, Mueller confirmed that his report did not, in fact, exonerate Trump with regard to obstruction of justice. (The collusion aspects of the investigation will be addressed later today).
In the first round of questions this morning, Nadler, the Democratic congressman from New York, said, “Director Mueller, the President has repeatedly claimed that your report found there was no obstruction and that it completely and totally exonerated him. But that is not what your report said, is it?”
Said Mueller, “Correct, that is not what the report said.”
With that, today’s much anticipated hearing got straight to what Democrats hope will be one of the...
Under questioning from House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler, kicking off today’s hearing, Mueller confirmed that his report did not, in fact, exonerate Trump with regard to obstruction of justice. (The collusion aspects of the investigation will be addressed later today).
In the first round of questions this morning, Nadler, the Democratic congressman from New York, said, “Director Mueller, the President has repeatedly claimed that your report found there was no obstruction and that it completely and totally exonerated him. But that is not what your report said, is it?”
Said Mueller, “Correct, that is not what the report said.”
With that, today’s much anticipated hearing got straight to what Democrats hope will be one of the...
- 7/24/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Tom Steyer, the Democratic billionaire impeach-Trump activist who not so long ago vowed to keep his own name out of the 2020 running, has changed his mind, tossing his hat and $100 million of his own money into the ring.
Hollywood doesn’t seem impressed. “No Tom, just… no,” tweeted Yvette Nicole Brown.
Granted, it’s early days – early minutes, actually – but the response on social media to Steyer’s decision doesn’t seem encouraging.
“We need to stop the practice of billionaires trying to buy elections,” Cynthia Nixon tweeted. “@TomSteyer, think of all the good your $100 million could do for the environment, rather than trying to muscle your way into an already over-crowded and very promising presidential field.”
Tweeted Brown, “No Tom, just… no. This does Not help! Why don’t they get it?! None of these rich dudes seem to get it! We have 20+ candidates! Many are great. Three or four are exemplary.
Hollywood doesn’t seem impressed. “No Tom, just… no,” tweeted Yvette Nicole Brown.
Granted, it’s early days – early minutes, actually – but the response on social media to Steyer’s decision doesn’t seem encouraging.
“We need to stop the practice of billionaires trying to buy elections,” Cynthia Nixon tweeted. “@TomSteyer, think of all the good your $100 million could do for the environment, rather than trying to muscle your way into an already over-crowded and very promising presidential field.”
Tweeted Brown, “No Tom, just… no. This does Not help! Why don’t they get it?! None of these rich dudes seem to get it! We have 20+ candidates! Many are great. Three or four are exemplary.
- 7/9/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Fox News host Sean Hannity had a close working relationship with former Donald Trump presidential campaign manager Paul Manafort, according to a court filing that was released on Friday.
The messages between the two were initially filed under seal as an attachment to a government sentencing memo in February. Us District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, the judge overseeing Manafort’s case, ordered them to be released.
The wide ranging discussion between the two was friendly and Hannity was often sympathetic to Manafort’s situation. The FBI raid on Manafort’s home and the Justice Department’s relentless pursuit of Trump associates were among the topics broached.
The messages were sent from mid-July 2017 until early 2018 and came before Manafort was convicted of tax charges and bank fraud brought by ex-special counsel Robert Mueller. He is serving a 7.5-year sentence in Virginia.
“The media is trying to split me with Dt and family by lies and untruths,...
The messages between the two were initially filed under seal as an attachment to a government sentencing memo in February. Us District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, the judge overseeing Manafort’s case, ordered them to be released.
The wide ranging discussion between the two was friendly and Hannity was often sympathetic to Manafort’s situation. The FBI raid on Manafort’s home and the Justice Department’s relentless pursuit of Trump associates were among the topics broached.
The messages were sent from mid-July 2017 until early 2018 and came before Manafort was convicted of tax charges and bank fraud brought by ex-special counsel Robert Mueller. He is serving a 7.5-year sentence in Virginia.
“The media is trying to split me with Dt and family by lies and untruths,...
- 6/21/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson released a 56-page document revealing thousands of text messages exchanged between Fox News host Sean Hannity and Paul Manafort, who refer to each other as friends and discuss the legal case against the former Trump campaign manager at all hours of the day.
The two texted extensively about the status and germination of Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian collusion. In many of his messages, Hannity encouraged Manafort and his lawyer to appear on his show, at one point offering to do the segment taped (rather than live)
Hannity also talked ...
The two texted extensively about the status and germination of Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian collusion. In many of his messages, Hannity encouraged Manafort and his lawyer to appear on his show, at one point offering to do the segment taped (rather than live)
Hannity also talked ...
- 6/21/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
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